On the Windows of A-Gallery

Artist list

Andrea Auer, Hyrv, Natalie Itzhak, Barbara Kisil, Sigrid Kuusk, Tõnis Malkov, Peleg Mercedes Matityahu

PEarls by Andrea Auer 
Andrea Auer finds value in the ordinary. 
Her interest belongs to materials surrounding us every day, which at the same time are not the conventional materials for (making) jewellery. 
The collection called: “PEarls“ speaks about imitation or redefinition of pearls and came to life through her experiments with PE-polyehthylene cling film, which originally comes from household requirements. The wrapped polyethylene displays a lustre, as though just slipped from the oyster. In her work, she refers to examples stemming from nature that have been appended with myths. Copying nature has always been a particular challenge for people. 
Accompanying the exhibition – a book Black Cherries and Elderberries that can be bought from A-Gallery. 
Bakelite was all the rage in the 1920s and 30s with a lasting impact on the history of design, materials and society. One hundred years later, the designer Andrea Auer takes up the topic of Bakelite once again. Her Bakelite earrings “black cherries” inspired the title of Andrea Auer’s brand new monograph “black cherries & elderberries”. 
The presentation for the book was held on the 9th of March 2022 at 18:00 in A-Gallery. The event is supported by the Austrian Embassy in Tallinn. 

About the artist
Andrea Auer is an artist and designer, born in 1972 in Gmunden (Upper Austria). She completed training as a belt maker, goldsmith and silversmith at the technical college for creative metalcraft in Steyr (AT) and holds a degree from the University of Art and Industrial Design of Linz (AT). The Vienna based designer’s eponymous label was founded in 2002. Andrea Auer’s work has been shown in Austria, China, Estonia, Netherlands and Czech Republic. 


HOLE PEEKS MEMORIES by P. M. Matityahu, N. Itzhak, B. Kisil 
Using the window as a hole the exhibition offers a peek into the world of jewellery and our way of thinking as a group of three young designers. 
The jewellery designers among us decided to use plaster as a material that reflects memory and to create two jewellery pieces that explore the body using the same material in different dimensions: 3D versus 2D. Natalie freezes the moment with the help of the plaster – the material is fixed and finishes accumulating memory. Peleg is using it in a completely different way – the jewellery can constantly accumulate more memories and it basically stays flexible. The interior designer among us, Barbara, will use light as a material. The video art projection brings time, place and memory to life, creating another dimension to the moment, and completing the journey of the two jewellery designers.

About the artists
Peleg Mercedes Matityahu was born in 1992 in Israel. Peleg received her B. Des degree in jewellery design from Shenkar – college of art, design and engineering. Immediately After graduating her work was shown in the International Graduate Show at Galerie Marzee and she was the winner of the Marzee Graduate award in 2021. Since then her work has been exhibited internationally. She received the AICF scholarship for outstanding achievement in the field of jewellery. She currently lives in Amsterdam as one of the resident designers at Intro gallery. 
Natali Itzhak started her journey with a year of fashion studies at ‘Bezalel Academy’, Jerusalem, after that she completed her B.Des degree in Jewellery Design at ‘Shenkar college’, Ramat-Gan. During her degree in jewellery design, she received a certificate of excellence from Shenkar; in addition, she was sent to a student exchange in IED Madrid in the fashion department. Recently, she received a certificate of recognition for excellence and scholarship from AICF the America-Israel Cultural Foundation. 
Barbara Kisil is an artist focusing on fusing lights and material to create several mediums by using urban public places as a playground. Graduated A B.Des from Shenkar College of art, design, and engineering. Along the way, she produced underground art events in Tel Aviv, art installations exhibitions by fellow artists at the Midburn festival in the Arava desert, and designed light experiences as a VJ on art events. 


SIZE MATTERS by Sigrid Kuusk  
The exhibition SIZE MATTERS by Sigrid Kuusk expands upon the possibilities of an element. The most popular jewellery collection by Sigrid Kuusk called SOHO is mostly known for its earrings that are available in three sizes. In 2020 the collection got a new, parallel life as art objects, alternative clothing and headwear. At the center of the collection is a glittering disc that can be used as a module. When reduced in size, the discs can form a kind of fabric, or when made bigger can be transformed into large headwear. 
The shiny spectacle of the glitter becomes a kind of cape that catches the eye. Raising the contradicting question – is it transferring the gaze from something to hide or catching the eye to be seen? 

About the artist
Sigrid Kuusk is a jewellery artist and MA student of jewellery and blacksmithing at the Estonian Academy of Arts. Besides Estonia, her jewellery has been exhibited in Athens, Valencia, Munich, and Arnheim. Sigrid Kuusk was represented by Galerie Marzee in 2019 at the jewellery fair SCHMUCK. 


JEWELLERY ROOMS by Tõnis Malkov  
JEWELLERY ROOMS is a poetic expression of jewellery artist Tõnis Malkov’s visualisations of the last 15 years, exploring connections between the material and virtual worlds through jewellery and VR rooms. The exhibition focuses on connecting jewellery and virtual rooms and binding these two mediums together by making the works into crypto blockchain NFT-s. Thus the viewer can discover the virtual worlds behind the works which enable them to see and experience the backstory of the jewellery. The exhibition will also be shown at the Oculus Store and the NFT-s of the work will be made public at the first digital art online gallery in Estonia – Kanvas.ai 

About the artist
Tõnis Malkov (b. 1985) is a jewellery artist who has also studied urbanism; his works have been shown in many exhibitions in Estonia and can also be found in the collection of the Estonian Museum of Applied Arts and Design and the private collection of prof. Kadri Mälk. The artist is also active as a visualizer/modeller and graphic designer. 


PEBBLES - rolling stones, soft shapes created by nature by Hyrv 
The new collection by the jewellery brand Hyrv surrounds us with new and fresh shapes. A breath of fresh air is just what’s needed after these trying times. 
The Pebbles collection is best described by natural shapes, minimalism and sustainable use of materials. The Pebbles jewellery is a journey into dreams... the sea, freshness, clarity, life, freedom, pebbles cast ashore and shaped by nature. The feeling one gets when sharing energy with the jewellery they wear, cherishing it, being moved by it. It’s the great joy of recognition. 
There is a saying that by gathering small stones you can build a great city and by removing them you can move mountains. This echoes the determination of women. But since there is no universal formula to guide one’s life, every woman’s choices for themselves and their families should be respected. 
Hyrv’s Pebbles are for every woman to build as they like, to wear as they wish, just for them. 

About the artists
Hyrv is a jewellery brand created in 2012 by jewellery artist Kateryna Pishon. Hyrv means “deer” in Estonian and it is also the brand’s creative director and creator Kateryna Pishon’s nickname. The mythological meaning of the deer in ancient Nordic cultures is also important for the brand’s creators – the deer brings luck and harmony and seeing a deer in nature was considered a good omen. Hyrv uses natural stones and reused silver, for commissions also gold. Hyrv is the only jewellery brand in Estonia that uses high quality Japanese Akoya saltwater pearls. 
In 2018 Hyrv participated in the renowned jewellery fair JCK Las Vegas, where the brand’s collection “Coco” received the grand prize.